Knitting-machine



(No'moael.)

P. WILMBY. KNITTING MACHINE. No. 897,408. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

f i" e 1 C- ahw NITE STATES PATENT l' EErcE.

FRANK IVILCOMB, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE I/VII.-COMB MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

KNlTTlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 397,408, datedFebruary 5, 1889. Application filed February 29, 1888. Serial No.265,723. (No model.)

To all ich/071e it 71mg/ concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK IVILCOMB, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and Sta-te of Rhode Island, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Knitting- Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

It is the object of the present invention to provide means for carryinginto effect the .method of knittingas described in an application filedby me in the United States Patent Office on the 17th day of Eeln'uary,i988, Serial No. 264,348.

The purpose of my improved method of knitting and the results attainedthereby in the fabric produced I have fully and particularly pointed outin the application referred to, and I need not, therefore, enlarge uponthis in the present application.

My invention consists, broadly, of movable sinkers for measuring oit'. asufficient amount of yarn to form the loop before the old loop is castoff and movable bits for casting oif the old loop after the formation ofthe new loop, the said parts acting Vin connection with latch-needles.

It also consists of sinkers for. measuring off the yarn to form the loopand cast-off bits for removing the old loop from the needles after thenew loop is formed, both sinkers and cast off bits being` movable, andadapted, after their respective operations, to return to positions wherethey will not interfere with the operai tion of fashionin The :inventionalso consists of sinkers for measuring off the yarn, bit-s for castingoff the old loops after the formation of the new, and operatingmechanism for moving the sinkers and bits succcssivelyfthe parts beingcombined with latclrneedles.

The arrangement of needles herein shown is after the manner of theordinary latchneedle machine; but it will be understood that theprinciple of my invention, as well as the specific means hereinillustrated for carrying it into effect, may be employed in connectionwith other styles of machine for knit` ting either a fiat or tubularfabric.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l is a transverse section showingthe knitting devices and their supporting means, the fash ioningdevices, and the thread-carrier. Figs.

2, 3, and 4. represent the successive steps in the knitting and thedifferent positions assumed by the knitting devices at each step. Fig. 5is a perspective view illustrating the different simultaneous positionsof the various parts during the knitting, and also a portion of theknitted fabric.

As I have set forth in my application heretofore mentioned, my aim is toproduce a fabric of great lateral elasticity and of minimum longitudinalelasticity, of liner gage than has heretofore been found possible, by animproved method of knitting, which also enables me to use tender orknotted yarn without liability to rupture, and to produce a smooth evensurface free from particles of dirt or loose strands, all foreign matterof 7o this kind, as well as knots, being turned in the method ofknitting to the inside of the fabric.

I now proceed to describe the .devicesI prefer to use in carrying out myimproved. method 7 5 and the mechanism. for operating the same.

In the drawings, a a represent the needles, of ordinary construction,supported, as usual, at an inclination by suitable needle-beds, b b,which are in turn supported by the upper 8o frame-work of the machine.The sinkers c c are supported in suitable beds, d d., as shown, beingduplicated upon the other' side of the machine, and these sinkers areadvanced and retracted in a horizontal plane by means of sinker-groovesin the slide-bars F, the sinkers being provided with heels c, fittingsaid sinkergrooves, the slide-bars being .operated .in a well-knownmanner.

In the knitting movement the needles are 9o advanced successively, asshown in Fig. 5, to take the thread from a suitable thread-guide, f, andare then retracted, ordinary and wellknown mechanism being used to givethis movement to the needles. As the needles advance to take the thread,the sinkers begin to advance about the same time until they reach thelimit of their movement in this direction, as shown in Fig. 2. As theneedles are retracted, they recede between the sinkers, roo

Mthefahrcers.

faces to better engage the loop and the upper which are then at rest,and an elongated loop is formed by the yarn being drawn in between thesinkers by the recedingneedle, the outer bights of the loop being.formed over the ends of the sinker-bars. The length of these loops maybe regulated by the amount of movement of the needles or of the sinkersto make it of greater or less length. ln the receding' movement of theneedles they carry the old loop upon the latch, and this is not cast offuntil the new loop is :fully formed. The movement of the parts is sotimed that as soon as the new loop is fully formed the sinkergrooveinthe slide-lm'raets upon the heels of the sinkers to retract them insuccession tothe position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which leaves thebights of the formed loop exposed and allows the next step of castingoff the old loops to be proceeded with. For this purpose l p rovideknock-over bits g g, supported in beds h 71., and operated by slide-bars'i i, having grooves engaging with heels lt' L of the bits. These bitsare arranged at anV angle to the sinkers, but in the same verticalplane, and in operation are moved by their slide-bars to rise and takethe place of the retracted sinkl prefer to arrange them with inclinedpart of the web. As the bits rise, they move alongside of the needle,carrying the old loop onits latch, and in their continued upwardnovement the inclined faces bear against the upper edge of the web andeast oit the old loop, which passes over the length of the new loopuntil it reaches the bights thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The old loopthen forms a part of the web, and the former operation is repeated.

lt will be seen that by operatin the needles, sinkers, and knock overbits successively only a small number are operated at any one time, andthe action of knitting is not i'nter fered with or interrupted duringany of the steps described. As the needles are advancing to take thethread, other needles are being retracted to measure oitl a sufficientlength to form the loep between the measuring-sinkers, adjoining sinkersare being retracted, and at another point the knock-over bits are risingto cast off the old loop, the movements of the parts being in successionand in proper progression.

After the operation of the needles, sinkers, and knock-over bits, asdescribed, they recede, leaving the space between the duplicate rows ofdevices unobstructed for the action ot' the transfer devices forwidening or narrowing The transfer mechanism used in connection withthis method of knitting may be that shown and described in LettersPatent granted October 12, 18.27, No. 350,705, or the improved mechanismforming a part of an application filed by me April 1S, 1888, Serial No.271,026.

As described in my application covering the method of operationhereinbefore referred to, there is no liability to rupture inferior ortender yarn containing knots, for the reason that each elongated loop isfully formed before the old loop is cast ot'f, so that there is nostrain placed upon it, as would be the case were the'new loop formed bybeing drawn through the old, and as the knock-over bits rise theirinclined faces tend to lift the old loops and east them otl' over thenew loop. Very little friction ensues from the passage ol' the old loopover the new, while an advantage is derived from this contact, as theold loop in its passage over the new carries all foreign matter-such asdi rt or loose strandswith it to the bights ol' the new loop, and asthis part ot' the loop forms the inner face of the fabric the outer faceis left clean and smooth.

Then knots occur in the yarn too large to.

As with the dirt and other foreign matter, so

the knot also appears upon. the inner face of the fabric.

Reference maybe made to the pending application heretofore referred to,No. 271,026, for the best mechanicalmeans new known to me for actuating'the several slide-bars.

l claim as my invention- 1. rlhe combination, with latch-needles, ofmovable sinkers for measuring off the yarn :for the new loops, andmovable knock-over bits for casting off the old loops from the needles,an d means for operating the sinkers and knock-over bits, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination,with latch-needles, of movable sinkers for measuringoff the yarn to 'form the new loops, operating' means for giving saidsinkers independent and successive action, knock-over bits for castingoff the old loops, and operating means therefor to move themindependently and successively, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with latch-needles, of movable sinkers for measuringoff the yarn to form the new loops, operating` means for said sinkers toretract them from their normal position, knock-over bits :for castingoft' the old loops, and means for retracting said bits, whereby theneedles and loops are left properly exposed to allow the operationot`fashioning the fabric to be performed, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with. latch-needles, of the sinkers for measuringoff the yarn, and movable knock-over bits for casting off the old loops,and means for operating the sinkers and knock-over bits, the said bitsbeing IOO IIO

supported in an inclined position, snbsmw IntestilnonywliereofIluwcsigncdniyname trin'lly as described. to this specification in thepresence of two snb- 5. In combina-tion with latch-needles, lillesci-ibing witnesses. movable sinkers, and the movable knock-over FRANKWILCOMB. 5 bits provided with inclined faces, and means Vif/nesses:

for operating' sa-iflsinlcers andknoek-overbits, GEO. L. lARNEs,

substantially as described. GEO. R. AWILSON.

